it's disposed more than 700 of obsolete dare elect gear which -- dire elect gear which has lost marketable lobster and saves up to $792 million in damages to boat propelers from direlect fishing gear. if that isn't enough, the energy from them recycles gear. it doesn't cost the fishermen anything to dispose of this gear and that's why it's such a successful program. this small federal investment results in huge cost savings. marine debris is much larger and a growing problem. with disasters in japan last year and the recent storms like sandy, cleaning up debrises requires both resources and coordination between agencies and states. while i commend the bipartisan support and leadership of my colleagues to get this bill to the president, i'm disappointed that the program's authorization has not been extended. i will continue to work for permanent re-authorization of the marine debris program because it is a critical for program development in coastal communities. i urge my colleagues to support this bill which has bipartisan, bicameral compromise. i thank chairman mica, chairman hastings and